30 Days With Ubuntu Linux: Day 3

Much of the feedback that I received from yesterday's post focused on my choice to go with the Wubi install option. Ubuntu purists seem to feel that I am not giving the OS a fair chance if I don't run it natively rather than on top of Windows.

I understand the sentiment, and I understand that there is a performance hit that comes with running under Wubi as opposed to completely standalone. I will make you a deal, though-I won't let any perceived performance issues affect my opinion of Ubuntu. If anything else comes up that I complain about that you feel is a result of my decision to use the Wubi installation, feel free to let me know.

There are some hurdles to cross before I can immerse myself in Ubuntu Linux.Illustration: Chip TaylorI have also received a fair amount of feedback from readers challenging my assertion that this month might not be as immersive as 30 Days With Google Docs was because I am only trying to compare the OS itself, and after a month with Google Docs I am anxious to get back to using Microsoft Office. Fair enough. Some have recommended using CrossOver to run Office from within Ubuntu-so I will take a look at that, but overall I will do my best to literally switch platforms and immerse myself in Ubuntu Linux. If there comes a point where it gets in the way of my productivity, though-all bets are off. I have to pay the bills, so getting work done is priority one.

Just FYI--this post was written split between the two. I used Libre Writer to do most of it, while I worked in Ubuntu and captured screenshots. It seems like a capable enough word processor at first glance. We can dig into that more another day. But, I don't yet have a solution in place in Ubuntu that lets me connect with the PCWorld VPN, so I had to switch back to Windows to finish and post this. We'll try and tackle the VPN issue someday soon and we'll see how that goes.

Ubuntu communicates with my iPhone at least enough to detect the photos.So, let's say for the sake of argument that I'm going to spend 24/7 in Ubuntu during the 30 Days project. I have to consider very important things like "how will I keep my iPhone and iPad synced up?" I don't think I've ever made it any sort of secret that I abhor iTunes, and I consider it an abomination as far as Apple is concerned. The interface sucks. The software freezes regularly. But, it's a necessary evil that comes with the territory for using iOS devices.

When I boot into Ubuntu it does automatically detect my iPhone. It pops up message boxes letting me know that I have attached a device containing photos and music, and asking which application to open the content with. I just close the boxes, and there my iPhone sits on the Ubuntu desktop among the other removable storage drives. But, that doesn't help me sync it, so I still need iTunes.